The Seven Deadly Sins: Jewish, Christian, and Classical Reflections on Human Psychology

by Solomon Schimmel

All of us are engaged in a personal, ongoing battle with sin and vice. The seven deadly sins--lust, greed, envy, anger, pride, gluttony, and sloth--are our main antagonists in this struggle. They are primary causes of unhappiness and immorality, and because of their pervasive nature, have been of perennial interest to religious thinkers, philosophers, dramatists, and poets.
Although our anger doesn't make most of us murderers, our lust doesn't make most of us rapists, and our greed and envy don't make most of us outright criminals, they, together with gluttony, arrogance, and sloth, often make us, and those who have to live with us, miserable. One need only read the daily paper to see that these seven sins are alive and well, deadlier than ever, spawning violence and suffering, illness and anxiety, loss of meaning and depression. An arrogant yuppie considers suicide after losing his job on Wall Street, which had been the fragile basis of his false pride. A distinguished senator and a prominent judge destroy their careers and wound their female victims with their lust. Millions of men and women, distraught about their body image, subject themselves to liposuction, breast and hair implants because of their gluttony or vanity. People at the pinnacle of economic power fall into the abyss of prison because they could not control their avarice.
In The Seven Deadly Sins , Solomon Schimmel explains why psychology must incorporate many of the ethical and spiritual values of religion and moral philosophy if it is to effectively address the emotional problems faced by modern men and women, be they believers or agnostics. Drawing on the psychological insights of the Bible, Aristotle, Maimonides, Aquinas, and Shakespeare, among others, he shows how all of us can learn from them about the relationship between virtue and psychological well-being and vice and emotional distress. This insightful and fascinating work guides us to master our passions rather than be enslaved by them so that we can become more humane and build a happier, caring society.

Genres: Religion, Psychology, Theology

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Bendick Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok enough of how modern psychology can cure the ills of this world - this book shows us how wisdom of Jewish religion, Greek philosophy, Christianity and even English literature can shed light on human nature, by discussing in detail the seven cardinal sins. This bring us back to the responsibility of the sinner and addresses the problem at its core - no more excuses from genes and environment! Listen to the moralists: the solution doesn't lie in explaining and understanding sinful behaviour - it lies in facing and eradicating it.

[Mathijs · Rating 2 out of 5]

... als gebrabbel waarbij je onderwijl het brabbelen niet meer helemaal zeker wist waar je naartoe wilde brabbelen...

[Patrick Oden · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books on the deadly sins. Schimmel discusses this classic list with great insight, using a variety of traditions including Jewish, Christian, and Classical to explore the psychological, social, and spiritual nuances.

[A.J. Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read.

[Chris Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved how the author basically says that modern psychology and science are dead ends to man’s moral ills and how Christianity and Medieval writers and ancient philosophers spread more light and healing on ways to help man combat the plague of the human race that is sin.

[Wesley F · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on sin combining classical, Christian, Jewish, and modern viewpoints. Parts of it were very informative, particularly the early Christian traditions and the differences between the various sects of Christianity as well as its contrast to Judaism. Heading in, I already knew classical Greek and Roman thinkers had a very different take on sin. It was interesting to see them side by side.

Schimmel's take on modern psychology theory was interesting too. It seems to treat a number of sins very differently from the religious traditions. In particular, pride and anger are not considered sins but can be constructive according to some theories. Clearly pride is seen as a positive quality nowadays in an age of self-esteem, trophies for everyone, no negativity, and positive thinking.

Anger is treated differently if the underlying issue or outrage justifies an angry response. In that case the person is considered, "passionate." Envy is actively used by politicians, advertisers, and others to motivate people, rally support, and gain popularity. Class warfare, race politics, and obsessions with inequality on any level inspires envy, but is treated as legitimate feelings and important elements of modern discourse.

In these instances, the modern theory is destructive according to the author.

The second half was a disappointment. The author's take on greed was incredibly oversimplified. In his mind, any pursuit at all that results in wealth is greedy. Even trying to gain income to provide for one's family is greed. If that is true 99% of all human activity is inspired by greed. The sin lacks any meaningful definition. That is a worthless generality, not a deadly sin.

The section on gluttony was essentially about dieting with only a minor discussion of the moral dimension of it. He completely skips over alcoholism and drug addiction as forms of gluttony. This made the chapter really boring.

The writing was disorganized and passive. Their seemed to be no coherence to the paragraphs, the organization was all over the place, moving back and forth. It was also inefficient, with several extra sentences and paragraphs restating points. The passive voice was overused.

Overall 4 good chapters, 5 weak ones.

[Paulo Reimann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading. Perhaps the best over the subject (which is mesmerizing per se). Now re read, revisited . Always actual.